QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Export of Pulse Crops to India
June 5, 2019
Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate.
Last week, Statistics Canada reported that the net income of farmers has been cut almost in half in 2018, the largest decrease in 12 years. As well, farm operating expenses increased 6.5 per cent, the largest increase since 2012.
Trade disputes that have emerged over the last several years have contributed to the tough situation currently faced by our farmers. For example, there has been no resolution to the fumigation dispute, which has hurt our pulse exporters to India. StatsCan’s report shows that lentil revenues have dropped by one third and dried peas dropped by almost 20 per cent.
Senator Harder, our pulse producers were told the situation would be fixed by now. Instead, it shows no signs of improvement.
Can your government tell our producers that the dispute with India will be resolved before the end of 2019?
I thank the honourable senator for the question. She’ll know this issue has been one that has been of high concern to the Government of Canada. It has been raised at the highest levels with the Government of India now that the old government is renewed in India. It is a priority for the government to deal with those in the new administration to seek resolution of this challenge. It is one that the Canadian inspection services are very involved with, again, as in other countries. There are often scientific bases and often non-scientific bases to these issues. It is important to, where appropriate, find the science and demonstrate that our inspection services do provide the highest quality and that the challenge that is being described in some of the allegations with respect to Canadian pulse exports are in fact not valid.
That is the priority. I know it is a high commitment on the minister’s behalf.
